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Crystal Ball Gazing
Table of Contents *Chapter 1 - Introduction to Divination *Chapter 2 - Preparing and Opening the Mind's Eye *Chapter 3 - The Diviner's Tool Box **The Tarot **The Crystal Ball **Tassomancy **Palmistry **Astrology **Numerology & The I-Ching **Dream Interpretation *Index/Glossary An Introduction to the Crystal Ball Crystal ball gazing has been done, to varying degrees of success, for thousands of years. As one of the older methods of Divination (and much like all those of a certain age) the exact origin of this tool's uses has long since been lost to prehistory. With the uses spread out over many different ancient cultures and societies and with procedures as varied and different as the cultures in which we have found them, it is quite likely that the resulting confusion of information has simply been distilled into the practices we see most common today, with some being lost and some being appropriated into what we now understand and teach. Some have never even been seen outside of their originating cultures, and so were lost to history with those societies. Some practices are even still, today, kept as secret as goblin gold. The act of gazing into a reflective or translucent surface to glean prophetic insight came to be known as scrying. The practice can be used on literally anything with a highly reflective surface, including blood, water, mirrors, and even oily fingernails. Although crystal balls are the most common mechanism for this type of divination today, this was not always the case, with water and even fire holding a special place throughout history. Today, the act of reading through a crystal ball exists as a main staple of most divinatory lessons due to the tool's clarity - there is no need to adjust for movement in the tool (such as with water) and the mists and natural flaws of the ball can often help guide an unfocused mind towards better focus. Those who use Crystal Balls to gain an insight to the future are often called 'Gazers' or 'Scryers', depending on the context. While there is debate about the probability of success at the task, it is suggested that the act of scrying, or gazing, can be used to gain insight not only into the future or past, but also into the present, by scrying for specific places or people. Unlike some other techniques used to divine like Cartomancy (tarot card reading) and Chiromancy (palmistry) the Crystal Ball technique is one of those most effective to people who have the gift of 'True Sight'. This, however, doesn't mean non seers can't use Crystal Balls, nor does it guarantee that the crystal ball will make the best tool for a Seer. In fact, the bulk of whether or not one will succeed with the crystal ball depends on the potential level of focus and opening of the person doing the reading. Since the process of reading the ball is all down to what you are able to see in the mists contained inside the ball itself, to get an effective result you must be able to relax the conscious mind and external eyes so they can perceive clearly with the 'Inner Eye' and supra-conscious. If a person was unable to do so, they would see nothing but swirling white fog in the crystal ball, and this lack of focus is why, more often than naught, the student never Sees anything successfully. As you must, no doubt, be expecting by now; in order to succeed you must first believe it is possible. Physical Characteristics Most crystal balls are clear and made of glass, lead crystal, reconstituted quartz, or natural quartz. Although clear quartz is the most common crystal used for scrying, smokey quartz, amethyst, beryl, selenite, and obsidian can, and has, also been used to great effect. Most 'Gazers' or 'Scryers' prefer a crystal-ball that is at least 4”-5” in diameter so reading is easier and less straining. The smaller the ball is, the harder it will be to read and pull information from. The same goes for the level of opaqueness (clarity). Minerals such as Obsidian are harder to read because they are more opaque, more solid, in colour and can often be hard to make out details in - however, they lend a greater depth to readings when information is pulled from them. This is why it is often claimed that the most successful gazers are able to read from almost any reflective surface, and why so many were said to carry small balls of crystal with them wherever they went. Conversely, balls made out of incredibly clear materials, such as pure and faultless clear quartz or clear and faultless glass, can also be difficult for those who are new or not-so-good at focusing their mind. Balls of a middling level of clarity and colour, such as smokey quartz and amethyst, tend to make the best balls for those who need help focusing and those who are just beginning. This makes these particular types of balls the most common choice for school and class uses. This is why the amethyst or smokey quartz crystal balls are, perhaps, the most well known to students everywhere. History and Uses In the pre-industrial age the Pawnee, Iroquois, Incas, Egyptians, Persians, Chinese ''and'' the people of the Yucatan 'all commonly practiced the arts of crystal gazing. Some ancient tribal cultures even practiced a form of entrancement using crystals called 'crystal singing', which is now part of the practice of cleansing and charging crystals by use of certain sounds and vibrations. The earliest recorded uses of crystals as pure divinatory aids, however, dates back to the Celtic Druids of Gaul, Britain and Ireland, who lived during the Iron Age. These druids were chased, scattered and nearly lost during the early spread of the muggle religion of Christianity by 600 A.D. Much of what we know now of this early practice in the earth magics (druidism), comes from oral accounts at the time which were later written down by roman Philosophers and academics, such as Pliny the Elder. The early crystal gazers, or ''specularii, preferred a sea-green mineral called beryl, which was polished into spheres to enhance the reflective properties. (A ball is born!) Beryl is thought to be more magnetically charged than other minerals and, as a result, more apt to connect with the psychic energies of the moon, which guides our subconscious and intuitive 'selves'. These connections made beryl a poignant choice, along with the fact that it was easy to wrest the needed shapes and clarity from the mineral itself. The first adopters of crystal-gazing would stare deeply into the stone, falling into a meditative trance that would allow the subconscious to open and reveal secrets of the past, present, or future. Although popular opinion would have us believe these tools are only good for knowing what's going to happen, true '''crystal balls can see in any chronological direction, depending on factors such as natural talent (True Sight), and learned ability (how well one can focus). Many cultures utilized some form of ancient crystal healing or divination but the most obvious association with the crystal ball comes from the Middle Ages, which lasted from around the time the Druids disappeared until the Renaissance in the 15th century. Though its path is murky, the crystal ball was used as both a means of magic and a flashy fashion accessory; a type of Middle-Age bling, so to speak. The great Merlin was even said to have chosen to tote around a beryl ball for his own uses and it was not uncommon to see a witch or wizard with other such divinatory aids on their person during that era. In fact, it is only in the more modern era that we find the prevalent belief that Divination is nonsense; there was a time when, even though it was stigmatized, it remained a very real and belief-backed practice. In fact, during this time crystal spheres, set in wire fastenings, were used as symbols of power, class status, and crystals, usually shaped as balls, pentacles or pyramids, were enchanted for use as magic talismans that warded off all manner of unpleasantness, from anti-pain and calming charms to ones that sought to aid in warding away misfortunes. During excavations of medieval graves in Kent these crystal amulets were found in several graves of wealthy women and women, between their knees, along with other possessions that indicated their wealth. Following it's reign before and during the 15th century we start to see a decline in the number and spread of crystal ball practices, most notably driven in the western world by the deepening of the divide between the muggle and magical worlds of the 16th century. One notable scandal involved the muggle John Dee, a royal adviser to Queen Elizabeth I. Dee was interested in the occult but, being a muggle, had no gifts with magic and naturally was not part of the magical world. After meeting a traveler named Edward Kelley, who claimed to be a working scryer himself, the two began to conduct sessions during which they would claim to visualize and communicate with angels and demons (creatures of muggle superstition) through a crystal ball made of opaque obsidian. Dee kept fastidious notes on these ball-bound conversations, believing that angels were a direct line to the muggle figure of God which eventually lead him to create the Enochian language (a written language some muggles believe to have come from this 'God'). His partner in scrying, however, claimed that he had received a message from an angel that the two men must share everything, including their wives; shortly after that, their relationship dissolved for good (though there was one diary entry that somewhat confirms an actual wife-swap did occur). This began the crystal ball on it's path towards the conflicted understanding it has publicly now, with many claiming the ball's users are charlatans. In fact, the ball is a main-stay of Muggle cultural images of the 'psychic' world around the world. Cleansing the Crystal Ball When you get your ball, and after heavy use, it is useful to wash it using a soft cloth, water, and mild soap. This will not only make your ball clean physically by removing fingerprints and other debris but also help cleanse the ball’s energies as well. Since these materials are able to take in and store energy, it is important to always make sure your tools are clean and the crystal ball, though heavy, is no exception to this rule. To completely cleanse your ball of any previous and/or negative energy, it is best to smudge it as well. Smudgeing is the act of cleansing an person, place or thing with the smoke from certain herbs and scents. The most common tool for this, of course, is a dried bundle of the herb known as Sage. In addition to sage, one might also use incense, but sage is most common. How to Cleanse: Step-by-step Guide # Physical Cleansing: Find two cloths large enough to wrap the whole ball in; the cloths must be soft and absorbent. Using a small amount of mild, natural/organic soap, clean the ball under warm (not hot) running water holding the ball with one hand. It is important that you place the ball in your hand with the cloth under the ball, so that the ball is resting against the cloth in your hand and not on your skin. This is so that you can keep hold of the heavy, slippery ball once there is soap and water on it! '''Wash the entire surface of the ball, turning it gently in your hand under the water as you wipe it down, then dry it carefully and put it back on it's pedestal on the table. The goal is ''not to touch the ball with your bare hand'' while it is being cleaned. This limits the amount of smudges and finger prints left on the surface of the ball as distractions for your reading. # '''Magical Cleansing: '''Now that the ball is physically clean, take your dried bundle of sage, or your sage incense, and light the end, making sure the stick is smoking properly. Once you have done so, focus your mind on the act of cleansing and clearing energy, and begin to move the stick to direct the smoke around the ball itself, beginning from the northern, or furthest, side. You do not need to move yourself around the ball, simply moving your hand with the smokey stick around the ball should be fine. Once you have done this on all sides of the ball (for best results do all sides three times) put out your sage stick (or set your incense stick into its holder) and clean up your cleansing tools; your crystal ball is now ready to use! '''Handling, Charging and Storage As mentioned above, the goal for most gazers and scryers is to avoid touching the surface of the ball as much as possible. This is one of the reasons a small pedestal is often used to hold the ball up off the table to keep it from rolling around rather than having it in the hand (that and most crystal balls are heavy). Because of the way in which we read the ball, it is important that as little distraction as possible be present in a reading. Finger prints, dust, cracks and other debris and dirt can all be confounds for readings; smudges can change a happy face into a skull, and that changes the entire outcome of a reading. This finicky natures is one reason the ball is not as highly favoured as it used to be, once upon a time. This requirement is one reason most users of the ball only touch their crystal balls with their hands covered in a cloth, or towel, used specifically for that purpose and often stored with the ball itself. When not stored in a box, most crystal balls will be stored on a shelf or table, with an opaque cloth covering them, so that they can easily be cleaned off and wont accrue too much dust while unused. While it is true that light is used to charge ''a ball, storing crystal balls in direct sunlight will weaken the ball’s magnetism and may render it unable to draw images entirely. Improper storage can often encourage the ball to develop stress cracks and other faults if left too long in the light and without adequate care. This is why it '''should be stored in a box, away from light, during long periods of disuse and, ideally, in general when not in use. The box should be made out of a thick wood, though the type is up to the user, and padded on the inside to secure the ball if the box is moved. A good crystal ball box will not allow the ball to move around once placed inside the box. In addition to being inside this padded box it is also a good idea to '''''wrap the ball up in an opaque silk cloth of either black or white. This cloth will allow the ball to be easily removed without adding fingerprints, and will keep all light from the ball while it is being stored. Charging 'crystal balls is as simple as merely removing the ball from it's storage box and, after cleansing it, placing it on it's pedestal in direct moonlight, during the night of a full moon. While it ''is possible to charge crystals using the light of the sun, generally we do not use this for charging crystal balls because the light of the sun and moon contain very different energies. The moon is related to the unseen world of intuition and the subconscious, and it is to this subtle world that we wish to peer when using the balls. Thus, we charge them using the light of the moon at it's fullest. At schools where Divinations studies are taught, such as ''Hogwarts'', it is usually the responsibility of the Divinations professors to see to the charging of the school crystal balls. However, do not let that be a reason not to know how to do this very crucial task. The act of charging a ball is very much similar in effect to the act of ''Opening'' that you perform at the beginning of every reading and practice session. It opens the ball and charges it with the energies needed to guide and display information. '''Using the Crystal Ball Unlike with other tools, such as the Tarot and Palmistry, which provide very direct guides for reading which include literal lines and physical imagery, the crystal ball uses nothing to help the reader other than it's own natural properties and it's ability to channel and use energy. This means that whether or not one sees anything at all in the ball directly reduces down to the reader's own talents, abilities and focus. While the types of images one might see in the ball can be found in most Dictionaries on Symbolic meanings, there is no literal dictionary or guide what can be read from the ball. This means that the reading, even if one sees actual images in the ball, comes down to the intuitive reasoning and logic of the reader themselves and what they do and do not wish or choose to see. This makes the crystal ball one of the most open-ended and subjective of all the divinatory tools as it is most closely guided by the receptivity and magical connections of the reader. This poses a very real difficulty in a world where we are used to having such focus and magic achieved for us, in large part, by tools such as our wands. Without understanding, it is easy to dismiss this as an impossible tool to use when, in fact, it is merely extremely difficult to do. In fact this method of divination is widely regarded as impossible outside of those who have the gift of True Sight (Seers), because outside of those with the Sight it is rare to find someone who can regularly obtain true insight with the ball in general. This has caused a lack of confidence in the tool that has built up a barrier of disbelief in it's potential, which in turn has made it subsequently harder to teach in more modern eras. This lack of belief is endemically part of the reason the tool is so disfavoured; by continuing this pattern of disbelief we make it nigh impossible to engender belief that the tool will work, thus we have fewer able to use the ball in each generation. In order to learn the crystal ball, therefore, it is important to acknowledge that we must suspend our disbelief''' for the duration of our studies. Pretend, for a while, that it does not matter whether or not you '''will '''succeed; instead focus on the fact that you '''may succeed. It is important to note that the process of reading the ball is, itself, very vague. Generally, it consists of a lot of sitting around and staring at one thing for sometimes quite a long time. This often causes other problems you may remember from your studies in meditation; back aches, headaches, muscle spasms and twitches. When we sit for a long while and do nothing but stare at one location intently it can prove to be a challenge. The longer we seek to focus on one thing, the more elusive that one thing would seem to become. Those with a great deal of mental discipline will find this task easier, while those with less will find it harder and, perhaps, even impossible altogether. This makes the ball more naturally used by those with an inclination to mental focus, while other tools such as the palmistry and phrenology are a draw to those who require more rigid guides to funnel their focus through. Once you have reached an adequate state of open receptivity, and once you have focused your intuitive magics enough to connect to the ambient energy around you through your ball, you should begin to perceive a sort of mistiness to the ball. If you succeed in seeing a mist, shifting inside the depths of your ball, you will know that you are actively 'Seeing' what is there with your inner eye. Physically seeing this misty state of the ball is something of a rarity, debated as being solely limited to those with some trace of True Sight. However, it is possible (if incredibly difficult) to manage to see this mist yourself, with quite a lot of mental focus and practice 'opening' on your part. That said, it is possible to see images in the ball in a more informal way, using the intuitive connection and processes of the mind. While you may not truly, physically, see an image 'appear out of mist' in the ball, as a true Seer might, you can still intuitively 'see' images once open and connected to the magics inside the ball. What this means is that your open and receptive mind is being 'triggered' into thinking it sees an image, out of the many potentially being physically reflected in the balls surface, more than any other. Do you keep thinking you see a skull in the reflections on the ball, over and over again? Perhaps your intuition is guiding you towards an answer, if there is no readily available explanation for why you continue to see such an image's reflection. This is why it is important to take note of anything you see in the surface of the ball while gazing. The clearest images, and those that continually appear over and over again, during one session or across many, will guide you towards putting the pieces of the puzzle together. As with most divination practices, the act of gazing into the crystal ball is also the act of connecting to your supraconscious, or intuitive, mind. This connection is, fundamentally, what we are trying to learn to use. No matter which tool you choose, it is this connection that is being sought out and built upon, so when a specific image appears over and over again, we can usually trace it to a specific message either about ourselves (perhaps a fear we hold, or something we are refusing to acknowledge, or even something we are as-yet unaware of) or an answer to the questions being asked coming from the ethereal ambient energies of our world. How to Read the Ball: A Step-by-Step Guide # Cleanse the Crystal Ball (see the section on Cleaning the Crystal Ball above). # Placing your Crystal Ball: '''Choose a flat, ''non-reflective'' surface on which to do your reading and place the ball down on it's pedestal (the little stand that holds the ball in place an inch of the resting surface). If all your tables have reflective surfaces, or no matte surfaces are available, make use of an opaque sheet to lay out under the ball. It is vitally important that the ball not be placed on another reflective surface for several reasons. The first is that it will keep you from being confused by reflections coming from the table, displayed inside the ball, and the second is because adding another reflective surface will reflect energies into the ball that you do not want interfering with your reading. It is best to pair the reflective ball with a surface that is solid and matte, so try to do your readings on wooden tables, rather than tables made of glass or high-gloss metals. If this cannot be avoided, cover the entire surface of the table with a cloth that shows nothing of what is underneath it, preferably a white or black one. # '''Relax your eyes; Relaxing can be achieved through light dimming (to physically relax your eyes) and meditation (specifically the practice of 'opening' meditations) to open your 'inner eye'. It is very important to relax your mind and body, and to attune to your 'Inner Eye', as it is only in this relaxed and open state that we are able to listen to and perceive the images and messages which may appear to us. This is the step where you focus not only your will, but your belief. Remember if you do not believe it will work, there is no potential for success. # Give the ball a personal charge. Now you will want to hold the ball in your hands for awhile, making sure your hands are clean and dry, to energize it and strengthen your bond with it. Some of those who crystal gaze prefer to simply hover their hands over the ball, or use their storage cloth to hold it, to minimize the likelihood of fingerprints on the surface of the ball, but if your hands are freshly cleaned with mild soap, and well dried, this will not be an issue for you. While holding the ball, think about the purpose for this reading and what you want to know. You may wish to visualize the topic, or ask a question about it either in your mind or out loud, if you are doing the reading for another person who is present, it may be helpful to have the other person say their question out-loud while you focus on the ball; which method you use depends on you, go with your intuition or 'gut' as to which method to follow. # Put the crystal down on its pedestal and begin to stare into it. Let your eyes relax and go out of focus. Try to clear your mind and concentrate on feeling open and receptive. After a while you should notice a kind of mist inside the crystal ball which will, over time, resolve into various images. Watch out for symbols and when you do (if you do) see images, don’t try to make sense of them right away. Just take a mental note of what you see; it may be helpful to keep a small list running in your mind as you 'notice' images inside the ball, like keywords such as 'skull', 'unicorn', 'smile' or even 'question mark'. Once you have seen the images that you need, they will 'fade away' and the ball will again seem to 'fill with mist'. This is the most draining part of the reading, as it will physically tax you. Staring so hard at something so vague can cause problems, such as eye strain and tension headaches, so it is sometimes important to retry the same question (or series of questions) over multiple readings, depending on your stamina and how quickly you 'tire out'. If you feel like your eyes are going to bug out of your head, or like your skull is trying to squish your brain out through your ears, you may want to stop for the day! # When finished: Take in a deep breath, blink a few times, this will help you 'earth' and come back to the physical plane. Now you want to thank the ball for its message (either by physically saying thank you or by meditating on the feeling of gratitude while in contact with the ball) and put it away (see section on storage, above). As with all readings you will want to finish up by taking down notes in a journal, diary or parchment on what you have seen in your reading. All things that are seen have meaning; think of readings as the act of putting together a puzzle, this analogy fits even more with the crystal ball. It is only in laying out the pieces we have that we are able to make out details of the image that is forming for us. By writing down what you saw you can get a sense of what the overall message may be, and even which things really were part of the reading and which things may have been mistakes (which are very common in crystal gazing). #* *''Never leave your crystal ball sitting out, untended. ''A good diviner knows to take care of their tools, and since crystal balls are some of the more expensive tools used, it does not do well to treat it poorly, lest you end up needing to spend quite a bit of gold on replacements! #* Finish all readings with a 'closing'. Focus on that door closing the mind that you opened during the meditation prior. Never leave yourself open to influence! Remember: it is very rare for most to achieve successful, continuous results with the crystal ball. Even the greatest masters and mistresses of the crystal ball do not always get the answers correctly, since the ball is one of the tools that most strictly uses the reader's own ability to touch on True Sight. Only those with the greatest openness and clearest connection to their intuitive magics will achieve a success rate better than chance, or see anything truly clear in the mists of the ball. So, do not be discouraged if you fail your first, second or even third time to see anything at all. As with all talents, it takes practice and focus to learn to read the crystals. [ Last Modified: 10/12/2016 ]